Free Agency Idea: Could Los Angeles Rams Sign Calais Campbell?

The Los Angeles Rams are hurting in the trenches, where they just lost Aaron Donald. Could veteran lineman Calais Campbell fill the hole Donald left?

Dec 31, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) scrambles away / Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

For the first time in a decade, the Los Angeles Rams will enter a season without a Hall of Fame defensive lineman drawing the attention of offensive coaches around the league. The loss of defensive tackle Aaron Donald is one Los Angeles won’t be able to fix, at least in its entirety.

Mitigating his loss, though, may start in free agency. The Rams have already been big spenders, retaining right guard Kevin Dotson, adding left guard Jonah Jackson, and replenishing the secondary with a pair of starting cornerbacks and safety Kamren Curl.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Los Angeles spend heavy resources – whether it be a portion of its $14 million in remaining cap space or the 19th overall pick – on the defensive line. 

Dec 31, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) scrambles away / Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

In the 33rd team’s attempt to match remaining free agents with ideal landing spots, the Rams do just that, signing former Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Calais Campbell.

“Campbell can play inside and outside, which fits perfectly with a Los Angeles Rams team that could use help all along the defensive line,” Pizzuta said. “With Atlanta, Campbell spent a lot of time on the edge. He’s been around a 50-50 split between the edge and interior for much of the latter part of his career.”

That versatility could become a key component of defensive coordinator Chris Shula’s plans. Los Angeles needs help both on the interior and on the edge, where it sorely missed a significant edge presence. Rookie Byron Young played well, but heading into 2024 relying on him as the team’s best edge rusher isn’t a winning strategy.

Despite his age – he’s entering his age-38 season – Campbell has kept up a consistently high level of play. He logged 6.5 sacks and 17 hits with league-average win rates for the position and showed out against the run, where Pro Football Focus graded him as the eighth-best edge rusher.

“Signing Campbell would help make everyone else’s jobs easier,” Pizzuta wrote. “Throwing him next to Kobie Turner would present issues for opposing interior linemen and would continue to allow the edge rushers to be among the league’s least double-teamed players as they were last season.”

Whether he’s clogging lanes between the tackles, playing on the edge in a “big base” package, or in a more traditional pass-rushing role, Campbell has the skill set to mesh well with Los Angeles’ defense.

The Rams’ new-look defense already has a higher ceiling than last year, but fortifying the trenches can go a long way in helping Campbell chase a Super Bowl ring in the twilight of quarterback Matthew Stafford’s career.